apple: Molly Sheepnose

[redbird]

We bought three Molly Sheepnose apples at the farmers market yesterday, and I just tried one.

I am not impressed. The skin is thick, and the apple flesh doesn't taste like much. Adrian's comment was "I wonder whether, if we were to cook with it, we could make soomething as tasty as the RItz Cracker mock apple pie."

Since we have three, we will try another later, because sometimes there's significant variation even between apples of the same variety, picked at the same time. (I expect variation from year to year, and sometimes from place to place.)

Apparently "sheepnose" is another name for the Black Gilliflower apple. The apple information websites I was looking at say it ripens in September or October, and is better for cooking (baking, applesauce) or drying than just eating.

Comments

[pameladean]

It's too bad; that's such a great name. P.

[bibliofile]

I wonder if they would be good candidates for drying? That usually intensifies the flavor in some ways. Do earlier apples have better flavor than later ones? (I mean earlier/later of the same variety.)

[redbird]

I find most early apples bland, including Gingergold, but I think we're past the really early ones, at least this year. Elstar and Zestar are early apples I do like.

[cmcmck]

It's a great name for an apple, good or not!

[joseph_teller]

The weather is likely to have affected the quality of the apples this year as well.